2009 North Cookie Ocean hurricane season
|first = Season duration: February 2-December 1|second = Strongest storm: Gwen|third = 2008, 2009, 2010|fourth = Damages: $17.35 billion|fifth = Fatalities: 88 total}} The 2009 North Cookie Ocean hurricane season was an average season that produced 12 named storms. The season was the first to use a recycled naming list. The lists will be used every six years. The strongest storm of this season, Gwen, peaked as a Category 5 hurricane before making landfall in Rigela. Storms Tropical Depression One On February 2, a tropical depression formed in Pony Bay. The depression made landfall on February 3, preventing it to strengthen more. Tropical Depression One dissipated on February 3. Hurricane Ava On May 6, another tropical depression formed in the Bay of Pony. The depression quickly strengthened into Tropical Storm Ava on May 7. Ava attained tropical storm intensity and further intensified into a hurricane on May 9, just before making landfall on Pony. Hurricane Ava caused $150 million in damages and only 6 fatalities. Tropical Storm Ben On June 4, a tropical depression formed near Tiki. The depression became Tropical Storm Ben on June 6. Ben stayed at a peak intensity of 40 mph/1007 mbar before weakening near Parma on June 9. Ben dissipated over Parma on June 10. Tropical Storm Celeste On June 18, a tropical depression formed just to the southwest of Rigela. The depression gained tropical storm status later that day, and the storm was given the name Celeste. Celeste gained more strength due to very warm waters off the coast of South Sandy. As Celeste neared the coast, Celeste attained a peak intensity of 60 mph/998 mbar. Celeste made landfall with 50 mph winds on June 21, causing only $4.2 million in damages and 1 fatality. Celeste caused moderate inland flooding in Sandy Beach, where the one fatality occurred. Other damage included shingle damage, roof damage, and siding damage due to high winds. The storm surge from Celeste wasn't very high, which led to a lower cost in OUS. Celeste dissipated on June 22 in Wyominga. Hurricane Donald On July 5, Tropical Storm Donald formed near the Indigo Islands, causing minimal damage. Donald moved out into the ocean where the storm gradually began to intensify. Tropical Storm Donald strengthened into a hurricane on July 7, and rapidly began to strengthen. In just 12 hours, Hurricane Donald intensified into a Category 4 hurricane, the highest on record. As Donald was still out to sea, Donald strengthened furthermore into a Category 5 hurricane, the first of the season. Although Donald was a Category 5 hurricane, it did not impact any land, which is very rare for a storm like that. Donald attained a peak intensity of 165 mph/905 mbar, which was the second strongest of the season, to be only surpassed by Hurricane Gwen. Hurricane Donald began to weaken on July 14, weakening to a Category 4 hurricane. Soon after, Donald rapidly weakened into a Category 2 hurricane before crossing into the Eastern Milk Ocean on July 16. Hurricane Elena On July 31, another tropical depression formed out to sea. The depression became a tropical storm on August 1 and was named Elena. Elena stayed out to sea, staying far away from the Indigo Islands. Elena started to strengthen as soon as it was named, intensifying into a hurricane on August 3. Hurricane Elena strengthened into a Category 2 hurricane on August 5, attaining a peak intensity of 100 mph/973 mbar before Elena began to weaken. Elena weakened back into a Category 1 hurricane and then back into a tropical storm from August 7-8. Hurricane Elena dissipated on August 10. Tropical Storm Fred On August 14, a tropical storm formed in the Cookie Bay. The storm was given the next name on the list, Fred. Tropical Storm Fred attained a peak intensity of 50 mph/1000 mbar before becoming extratropical. Fred's remnants struck Southern Bedford on August 16, the day that Fred dissipated. Hurricane Gwen On August 27, a tropical depression formed just south of the Indigo Islands. The depression strengthened into a tropical storm in the next advisory and received the name Gwen. Tropical Storm Gwen struck the Indigo Islands, causing minor damage and one fatality. Tropical Storm Gwen intensified into a hurricane on August 29, as it was moving north towards OUS. This was confirmed by a Hurricane Hunters reconnaissance flight through the eyewall of Hurricane Gwen. Another reconnaissance flight was conducted later on August 31, and the winds were raised to 105 mph and the barometric pressure was lowered to 968 millbars (hPa). Hurricane Gwen prompted hurricane and tropical storm watches on the coasts of OUS and Rigela. A state of emergency was declared in North Sandy ahead of the storm, due to the path of Hurricane Gwen coming very close to that state. Hurricane Gwen then strengthened into a major hurricane on September 1. Gwen continued to intensity into a Category 4 hurricane later that day. A state of emergency was then declared in Rigela. Hurricane Gwen passed next to Tiki as it became the second Category 5 hurricane of the season. Another conducted reconnaissance confirmed a peak intensity of 180 mph/895 millibars (hPa), making it the strongest of the season. Hurricane Gwen was only 200 miles away from landfall when it weakened back into a low-end Category 5 hurricane. On September 3, Hurricane Gwen made landfall near the North Sandy/Rigela border, causing more than $15 billion in damages and 68 fatalities. Hurricane Gwen began to weaken as it moved inland, weakening from a Category 4 hurricane to a tropical storm in just 36 hours. As it was moving inland, major flooding occurred in North Sandy's capital, Gatliney. Finally, on September 6, what was left of Hurricane Gwen dissipated over what is now the state of Uranus. Hurricane Hugo On September 17, a tropical depression formed in Pony Bay. The depression's winds were upped to 40 mph in the next advisory, making it a tropical storm. The tropical storm received the name Hugo simultaneously. Hugo slowly began to intensity as it neared the coast of Pony. Tropical Storm Hugo became a hurricane on September 19, just before making landfall on Pony with 90 mph winds. Hugo rapidly weakened over the mountains, transitioning into a tropical depression on September 20. Hugo dissipated at midnight on September 21 over north-central Pony. Hurricane Imelda On September 29, a tropical storm formed off the coast of Pony, receiving the name Imelda. Imelda moved out to sea on September 30, where Imelda began to undergo raid intensification. Tropical Storm Imelda strengthened into a hurricane just that evening. Due to very warm waters, Imelda rapidly intensified into a Category 4 hurricane and attained a peak intensity of 150 mph/932 mbar. Hurricane Imelda slightly weakened to a 145-mph storm as it struck the Indigo Islands. At the Indigo Islands, Imelda became the costliest storm to hit the islands, causing more than $2.2 billion in damages. Also, Imelda caused 13 fatalities in the Indigo Islands, the fourth-deadliest since records began and the deadliest at the time. Also at the time, Imelda was the only documented storm to actually make landfall on the Indigo Islands. Hurricane Frank became the second to do so in 2011. Hurricane Imelda began to weaken more as it got nearer to the Eastern Milk Ocean, just losing major hurricane status before crossing into the aforementioned basin on October 7. Hurricane Imelda went on to cross into the Indiani Sea basin, one of only ten storms to do so. Tropical Storm Julian On October 6, a tropical depression formed east of Parma. The depression moved northeastward across Cookie Bay until it became a named storm. The tropical storm received the name Julian. Tropical Storm Julian attained a peak intensity of 45 mph/1002 mbar before being absorbed by a cold front on October 8. Hurricane Kay On November 24, a tropical storm formed just south of Tiki. The tropical storm was given the name Kay and oddly tracked northward as it approached Tiki. Tropical Storm Kay strengthened into a hurricane just before making landfall in Tiki, causing minimal damage and no fatalities. Hurricane Kay then weakened back into a tropical storm and dissipated in the cold waters just south of Colossians on November 29. Tropical Storm Leonard On November 29, a tropical depression formed near Parma. The depression strengthened into a tropical storm and was named Leonard. Tropical Storm Leonard was almost stationary off of the coast of Parma, which let Leonard slightly intensify until it hit its peak intensity of 50 mph/1003 mbar. Leonard made landfall and dissipated over Parma on December 1, marking the end to the season. Storm names This was the first usage of this naming list. Names that were not retired at the end of the season were used again in 2015. Names in italics were not used throughout the course of the season. Retirement On January 1, 2010, the names Gwen and Imelda were retired from the naming lists and will never be used again for a North Cookie Ocean hurricane. They were replaced with Genevieve and Ida for 2015.